Before I am Famous

The rain fell in currents creating pools on the road. The fog and oppressive gray made it darker for mid afternoon. He wrapped his coat tighter around his body, shivering from the dank. Thinking of Laura and the fight he had with her, now he couldn’t remember why they were fighting. More than likely the fight was unimportant they were both stressed, both had no jobs and unemployment ran out for him and hers was close behind. He should go back and fall into her arms and say he was sorry all they had was each other. Stepping out on the road to cross the street he heard a song from long ago, “tell Laura I love her” and with a force a small car came from out of the dank and sent him flying through the air. The world as he knew it washed away with the rain.

***

Sebastian felt lost, time had been lost. Where was he? Why can’t he see anything? Shreds of black and white memories of rain and a car and people came and went. Hunger. He needed something food. From the darkness he feels around for something, not fully knowing what, and then warm milk enters his mouth. The world remained fuzzy but the milk soothed his aching brain and soon he drifted off to sleep once again. A woman with high cheeks bones and smooth auburn hair and lips full and red like cherries came into view. Laura.

After days of milk he opened his eyes to warm and wet nose nudging him. In front of him a beagle licked his head. Hospital, right he thought they have dogs that come around and help patients feel better. Raising his head he looked around and they were puppies and lots of them. Some pulled on their tails and ears. He felt strange when he moved and looked down at his own body. Small and stout was the beagle way, complete with long ears and a tail. Sensations of being a dog flooded him, 4 feet touching the ground, a tail he wagged and a long tongue. The words he tried to say escaped him and he yelled in his own head no this can’t be. I must get back to Laura. Oh Laura.

***

With in six weeks he took to dog life and enjoyed it. The food could have been better but the owner’s daughter took a liking to him and fed her food off her plate. The freedom of peeing where ever he pleased and sleeping and eating and no money worries what so ever made him happy and carefree. At night when the in the safety of the wicker basket and the confines of his “mother” he only thought of Laura. The desire to find her overtook him and he waited. Someone left the gate open and he left.

First he had to find where he was. He walked the clusters of row homes on cracked sidewalks and trees surrounded by little chain link fences until he came to a place he knew, Dee Dee’s Market. The little store front carried anything one could possibly want including exotic fruits and vegetables, fireworks, porno mags, and an array of foreign food treat. The store’s owner kept the store open everyday and every minute. He and Laura often came here in the middle of the night to buy some cheap wine and snacks when they had money and they were carefree.

Before they had money problems, Sebastian and Laura was a happy married couple. The kind of couple that laughs at each other and each other’s jokes, the kind everyone wanted to have. They had a sex life, they shared dreams, and things were great. Right after they were first married, Sebastian already thinking he lucked himself into a beautiful, caring and wonderful woman won a $100,000 prize from the New York Lottery. He bought them a little house in Brooklyn with 4 bedrooms because they wanted children.

She continued to work as an editor for a dot com and he worked parts inspector in a factory. They spent his winnings on the house buying furniture, new paint; they soon had the perfect house for the perfect couple. First he lost his job and went on unemployment. Then she did. When they became unemployed together they spent many afternoons in bed, naked and breathing heavy. Money became scarce and that overshadowed their love, petty fights erupted from stress and no money. The scene from his former life unclouded his memory, a fight with Laura, hit by a car.

Careful not draw attention to himself he walked in the warm sun to their house. Sebastian stopped at a newspaper box to pee and noticed the date. May 5, 2008 he searched for the date of his last known memory April 30, 2005. Three years went by, what happened was he a cockroach before a beagle? Thoughts of Laura interrupted him, did she find new love? Is she okay? I should’ve said I was sorry.The street where he and Laura lived never changed some of the row homes lost a few shutters; the sidewalk remained cracked except in front of nicer homes where the owner redid the walk. The house Sebastian brought his true love home to remained untouched. The shutters were sill green, the front door still solid oak with a nice half moon window, the brick still looked red and perfect. A perfect house for the perfect couple. Sebastian walked across the street and sat on the porch.The door opened, he wagged his tail. Laura, only to become more beautiful with age, her auburn hair longer, her lips still full and cherry but she had a glow about her, with a man and a small child stood before him. The child must be Laura’s because she carried the same cheek bones and the same auburn hair. Sebastian had to smell Laura, sadness and happiness waved through him. She opened the screen door and reached down to pet him. Sebastian jumped and licked her face wagging his tail. Oh Laura, I am so sorry, I love you so much he wished for her to hear.The little Laura came out, “see mommy, my birthday wish did come true. I wished for a puppy and here he is. He is mine right?” She hugged him, Sebastian licked her face.

The man, her father looked at Laura and Laura looked into Sebastian’s eyes. Something inside of her heart told her she already loved the beagle and it wasn’t because it was cute. She couldn’t understand. “Mommy, I will name him Sebastian.”

“Why Sebastian?” she asked staring into the beagle’s green eyes.

“I don’t know he looks like a Sebastian. Doesn’t he? Now that he has a name we’ve got to keep. Please, please, mommy, daddy.”

“Sebastian is a good name,” Laura said and Sebastian wagged his tail. “Well I guess someone above wants you to have a puppy or why else would he place him here? You can have him.” The daughter squealed with delight.

The family took their new puppy inside. Sebastian knew Laura was happy at last and that made him happy. He had one last chance to be with her again and love her again even if he was different. As much as he had Laura cry those last few months, he didn’t deserve to be near her again, someone gave him a second chance because true love doesn’t die or there was a cosmic mix-up.

A special thanks to LDM at Just East off Main for help with this story!!

Trackback URI | Comments RSS